Nance Building · National Register of Historic Places
Rutledge’s story
228 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1840.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1798Rutledge is settled
RutledgeTN
A town of 1,411, settled in 1798.
Photo: AppalachianCentrist · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,411
2025 Census estimate · +5.1% since 2020
Typical home
$278K
+8.8% in a year
Household income
$50K
median
Median age
46.7
years
Jobs based here
900
A job hub
Is Rutledge a good place to live?
Rutledge’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for health. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Rutledge, above both the Tennessee town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 175 Tennessee towns, just 5 have a lower median rent than Rutledge. The median household income is $50K, and 25% of residents live below the poverty line. Rutledge's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 95% of U.S. towns. Rutledge has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them William Cocke House and Nance Building. Rutledge has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Rutledge stand out
Where Rutledge beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
How Rutledge grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Rutledge is from typical.
HealthTennova Healthcare-Jefferson Memorial Hospital 11.5 miles awayD−Open →Jobs & incomeDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 30% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.3 of 20; 11.7% of households have no car; 1.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SchoolsC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trailsC−Open →History5 notable people born hereB+Open →Civic life2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Rutledge: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rutledge, and how to reach them.
PowerAppalachian Electric Coop13.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRutledge Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Rutledge’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Tennessee you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereGrainger County Election CommissionGrainger County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code3786137861 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Rutledge.
HealthD−
On CDC estimates, Rutledge is less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns
Rutledge beats the Tennessee average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 20% of adults report frequent physical distress in Rutledge, against 16% in Tennessee’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 17% of adults have diabetes in Rutledge.
4%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Rutledge | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 41% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 24% | 19% |
31 measures vs. Tennessee
1 better12 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Rutledge | TN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.8% | 76.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 31.8% | 14.6% |
Tennova Healthcare-Jefferson Memorial Hospital
11.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC+
On state tests, Rutledge’s schools trail 65% of Tennessee districts
Its public schools are run by the Grainger County school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
35%of TN districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joppa ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 404 | B− |
| Grainger Co Adult HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 10 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Rutledge has 1.7 jobs for every working resident, and 846 people commute in
Most working residents leave Rutledge for work: only 10% work in town. The average trip to work in Rutledge is 28 minutes. Jobs based in Rutledge fell to 900 in 2023, 92 fewer than in 2013.
10%work in town
| Rutledge | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $61,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 12% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Rutledge10%
Knoxville16%
Morristown16%
Jefferson City6%
Nashville3%
19 mi
median commute distance
900
jobs based in Rutledge
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 34% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Rutledge, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities.
30risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Rutledge, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Rutledge has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 27° and about 9 inches of snow falls in a winter.
9″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–49°
Spring45–69°
Summer64–86°
Fall46–70°
Oct 28
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A
Homes in Rutledge are worth about $278K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Rutledge home is worth about $278,000, up 8.8% in a year, 16% below the Tennessee typical home. 58% of Rutledge households own their home.
$278KZillow home value
Typical home value
Rutledge$278K
Tennessee$331K
+8.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsC−
0% of Rutledge is conserved land
0.4 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Rutledge City Park, at 91 acres. Rutledge’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 3,527 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rutledge City Park | — | 91 |
| 2. Friendship Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rutledge
19pages on Rutledge
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rutledge
About 3 of every 100 Rutledge residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.
A growing town
Rutledge has grown 24% since 2010
1,122 counted in 2010 and 1,321 in 2020; an estimated 1,411 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Landmarks
4 places in Rutledge on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Rutledge
5 notable people were born in Rutledge.
W
William Michael Cocke1815-1896 American politician · 1815–1896A
A. W. DavisAmerican basketball player and coach · 1943–2014
J
James F. Lawrence Jr.American Marine Corps Navy Cross recipient · 1918–2006About Rutledge
City in Tennessee, United States
Rutledge is a city in and the county seat of Grainger County, Tennessee. The city is part of both the Knoxville metropolitan area and the Morristown metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 1,321.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1798
- Area
- 4.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,017 ft
- ZIP code
- 37861
- Area code
- 865
Questions about Rutledge
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rutledge, TN expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
What is Rutledge, TN known for?
5 notable people were born here, including Robert Taylor Jones and William Michael Cocke.